Passaic
/pəˈseɪ.ɪk/noun
A city and river in New Jersey, United States, whose name comes from an Indigenous Lenape place-name.
Did you know?The name has several historical spellings because European colonists recorded Lenape pronunciation inconsistently, including Passaick, Pasaick, and Pesayak.
Etymological Timeline
Before European colonization
Lenape
pahsayèk / pasiik
“A place associated with a valley or a division in the land; the precise original nuance is debated.”
17th Century
Dutch and English records
Passaick
“An early European spelling of the Indigenous river and place-name.”
18th Century
Colonial English
Pasaick / Passaic
“Names used for the river and surrounding settlements in northeastern New Jersey.”
1837
English
Passaic
“The name became associated with the incorporated Passaic Township in New Jersey.”
Modern English
English
Passaic
“A New Jersey city, county, river, and broader regional place-name.”